The Latest: 2 suspicious packages addressed to Rep. Waters

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on explosive devices sent to former President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, CNN and others (all times local):

9:30 p.m.

The FBI is confirming that two additional suspicious packages, addressed to Rep. Maxine Waters, have been intercepted that are similar in appearance to five others that were received.

The FBI updated its tally in a tweet Wednesday night.

It came as federal authorities said a package addressed to Waters with similar markings and characteristics to the other devices was intercepted at a Los Angeles mail facility.

Earlier in the day, Waters said her Washington office was the target of a suspicious package, though it wasn't immediately clear if that was related to the others.

Authorities say pipe bombs addressed to Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, former CIA director John Brennan and former Attorney General Eric Holder have also been intercepted in recent days.

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9:15 p.m.

A law enforcement official says the pipe bombs that were sent to several prominent Democrats and CNN were packed with powder and shards of glass.

The official says the devices were made from PVC pipe that was about six inches long and covered with black tape.

The official says each device also had a small battery, similar to a watch battery. The official didn't say whether the powder was explosive.

The official, who viewed X-ray images of the device, wasn't authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The FBI has said the packages containing the explosives were sent to former President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, former Attorney General Eric Holder, billionaire George Soros and CNN.

— Colleen Long

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8:30 p.m.

A package addressed to Rep. Maxine Waters appears similar to bombs sent to prominent Democrats in New York and Washington, D.C., and has been intercepted at a Los Angeles mail facility.

That's according to a law enforcement official who said the package has similar markings and characteristics to five others that had been discovered this week.

The official wasn't authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The five other packages all contained pipe bombs and targeted Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, CNN and others.

Waters, a California Democrat, said earlier Wednesday her Washington office, too, was the target of a suspicious package.

That package was intercepted at a facility that processes congressional mail. It wasn't immediately clear if that was related to the others.

— Michael Balsamo

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7:50 p.m.

A law enforcement official says tests have determined that a powder found inside an envelope delivered to CNN along with a pipe bomb was harmless.

The official wasn't authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

New York City's police commissioner said earlier Wednesday that the package sent to CNN's offices in Manhattan contained a live explosive and an envelope containing white powder.

The FBI said the package was similar to explosives sent to former President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, former Attorney General Eric Holder and billionaire George Soros.

The package sent to CNN was addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan, a frequent guest on the channel. The official says that parcel contained no note or claim of responsibility.

— Tom Hays

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7:35 p.m.

Former CIA Director John Brennan says he may have been targeted because he's a strong Trump administration critic, after an explosive addressed to him was mailed to CNN's New York bureau.

Speaking at an Austin event Wednesday night, Brennan said he'd "been contacted by folks in the security realm" who are investigating the explosives. He didn't elaborate.

Brennan says, "If I and others are being targeted because we're speaking out" it's "a very unfortunate turn of events."

A frequent Trump critic, Brennan is actually an analyst for NBC News, not CNN.

He says, "Donald Trump too often has helped to incite these acts of violence" but "I'm hoping that maybe this is a turning point."